Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Purpose of the Job

This role supports the delivery of biomedical investigations and supervises MLAs as part of the Laboratory teams in Synnovis. Reporting to the Senior Specialist BMS, you will hold a variety of responsibilities to ensure the successful delivery of pathology services, in line with our corporate objectives.

What you will do

You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These will include, but are not limited to: 

•    Deliver work autonomously, within all regulations and legislative requirements.
•    Handle and manage samples, in line with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and assessed competencies. 
•    Perform tasks, operate and troubleshoot laboratory equipment within all safety standards and according to local SOPs relevant to your area.
•    Prepare solutions, reagents etc, and utilise a variety of laboratory equipment to carry out investigations. 
•    Rotate around the laboratory to ensure a broad range of understanding and knowledge is cultivated. 
•    Day-to-day supervision of MLAs and new members of the laboratory where necessary. 
•    Use cost effective methods in your practice and maintain levels of consumable goods and supplies in your area, and report shortages accordingly. 
•    Provide administrative support to all areas of the laboratory, as appropriate and dependent on experience and training.

Key Responsibilities 

•    Prepare specimens and perform manual, semi-automated and fully-automated laboratory investigations within training parameters and where appropriate under supervision.
•    Perform cleaning activities, prepare laboratory equipment, perform daily checks, environmental monitoring and waste management activities, and complete all required paperwork. 
•    Perform and interpret routine biomedical investigations by participating in regular daily workloads, under the supervision of an appropriate Biomedical Scientist in your area. 
•    Undertake preventative maintenance and troubleshooting on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to them being used for patient investigations. 
•    Safely handle, use and dispose of biological specimens including infectious material or hazardous chemicals according to laboratory and health and safety protocols.
•    Understand hazards and risks of working in a laboratory and use adequate precautions and personal protective equipment at all times. 
•    Ensure all laboratory samples, consumables and equipment are appropriately stored and maintained in line with SOPs, health and safety guidelines and recording protocols.
•    Use departmental resources efficiently and apply good stock management of reagents, consumables and stationery. Receipt and unpack new deliveries and advise/order when approaching minimum stock levels.
•    Process samples under supervision for clinical trials and research and development projects as and when required. 
•    Supervise MLAs by mentoring and ensuring performance is in line with laboratory standards.
•    Report and record all incidents and adverse events under the direction of the senior members of staff. 
•    Participate in quality management activities including inspections and audits, as required. 
•    Organise day-to-day tasks, identifying and prioritising urgent work to ensure that deadlines are met, and to the highest standards possible. Escalate to senior member of staff, as necessary. 
•    Answer the telephone, deal with calls politely and professionally, escalating requests when necessary to appropriate senior staff or departments. 
•    Adhere to the laboratory SOPs and work with the team to review working practice to maintain a high quality and safe service. 
•    Perform specimen reception duties including checking details, receiving and logging patient requests on to the LIMS.
•    Process referral specimens, receive samples dispatched from other laboratories and prepare samples for despatch to other laboratories or hospitals.
•    Complete data entry accurately, on time and in accordance with Information Governance (IG) procedures.
•    Seek practical advice from more experienced colleagues, including alignment with requirements of accreditation bodies and local management processes.
•    Use LIMS to accurately record sensitive patient information, requiring frequent, long periods of concentration, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality and following IG guidelines.
•    Take part in educational activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are relevant and current to your specific area.
•    Complete any assigned laboratory administrative tasks including but not limited to: stock monitoring and ordering, logging of operational performance data, taking operational meeting minutes, recording team annual leave and updating training plans.
•    Undertake periodic laboratory training and competence assessment. Maintain knowledge and skills as identified by line manager

At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation has involved moving 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London. Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services. The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

The Hub

The hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors. Synnovis’ corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor. The laboratories underneath. The Microbiology department occupies the third floor.This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors.
Based in Blackfriars, it’s less than a 5 minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and nestled closely to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.